We believe building effective leadership for the next generation will allow us to multiply change for NCDs -- change in the form of social transformation and policy solutions that will save lives.

Our global community needs healthcare leaders who are aware of the nuances of NCDs and what it takes to drive an effective response. YP-CDN is uniquely positioned to recruit, prepare, and support the next generation of healthcare leaders.

The NextGen Leaders Program, which is a partnership between YP-CDN and RTI International, seeks to build capacity and leadership among aspiring advocates and policymakers in the field of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These leaders are trained to deliver skills, knowledge, and networks to improve NCD prevention and control. The first cohort of NextGen Leaders focuses on leadership and capacity development for NCDs in East Africa.

The four major pillars of the NextGen Leaders Program are:

Why we develop leaders

Health systems depend heavily on human capital. But low-income countries face serious shortages of healthcare workers, especially healthcare leaders prepared to address the challenges of NCDs and essential medicines from a whole systems perspective. The healthcare leaders of yesterday and today are trained within silos. They are often doctors, but not systems thinkers. They often manage adequately, but they do not often inspire. They can be results-oriented, but not often impact-driven.

We develop leaders for tomorrow that are systems thinkers first and foremost. They are not only doctors but nurses, pharmacists, and policymakers. They are advocates and organizers who inspire and truly lead by empowerment. They are futurists with the confidence and competency to bridge gaps between sectors and silos.

How we develop leaders

Workshops, training materials, dedicated mentorship and practical experience placements within key NCD policy and research institutions will equip emerging leaders with the tools to lead advocacy and action on NCDs, while providing the technical knowledge and evidence needed to lead lasting health improvements. We are confident that after completing the program, these young leaders will be able to apply technical and organizing skills to influence public policy on the right to health.

The NextGen Leaders Program is operationalized in two components: the NextGen Fellows Program and the NextGen Leaders Workshop.

1. NextGen Fellows Program

NextGen Fellows complete a 1-year fellowship that seeks to build their leadership for improved NCD advocacy, research and policy influence at sub-national, national, regional and global levels. Find out more about the Fellows program here.

2. NextGen Leaders Workshop

These are 2-3 day training workshops to build skills and leadership capacity for advocacy, policy, and health communications, and best practices in using existing NCD research. Workshop participants are encouraged to apply to be a NextGen Fellow. The workshops aim to mobilize YP-CDN Chapters and supporting advocates in their regions to effectively organize and deploy NCD advocacy and accountability initiatives to achieve the global NCD goals.

To learn more about our 2016 and 2017 workshops, check out recent blog posts here (2016) and event page (2017).

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We provide a voice for young professionals at the global level. We believe young people are a central catalyst for the emergence of new ideas to confront the challenge of NCDs.